Day 128: In2Books Registration to Mentor Elementary School Children

Hello, Bianca and Olivia here.

Today, we both registered to be online Pen Pals for a program called "In2Books." This online organization fosters a relationship between a student in grades 3-6 and the registered PenPal. As a Pen Pal, it is our responsibility to read 5 books along with the student throughout the academic year and discuss the books with the Pen Pal through online correspondence. In our e-letters, we will discuss the themes and topics of each book and encourage the student to not only answer our questions but also come up with discussion questions of their own. Similar to a book club, the conversations between the student and Pen Pal are designed to both enhance the understanding of the book as well as improve critical thinking skills. Pretty cool right?

Our first job is to write a "Getting To Know You Letter" to our Pen Pal, explaining a little bit about ourselves, sharing why we love to read, and some of our own personal experiences with reading. After the student writes back, we will start reading our first book together. Future blogs will incorporate our conversations with the students. We are so excited to help children around the United States discover a passion for reading. While it may be difficult to balance letter deadlines in college, we are sure it will be worth it when we see our students become passionate in the subject matter and become more experienced readers. More to follow!

http://in2books.epals.com/

Day 127: KidsKonnect.com

Paul here.  I was doing an early morning grocery run at Stop & Shop today and saw a dinosaur piggy bank collecting money for KidsKonnect.com.  This is a website dedicated to providing appropriate content for children.  It seems very wholesome and informative.  If you have a child looking for some information on almost any subject, KidsKonnect.com is a great source.  I'll be sure to tell Sophia so she can use it for some upcoming grade 6 projects.

Day 126: Two Cakes and Three Cheers for Al !

Today marks the 5th year anniversary of the loss of our dear friend and neighbor, Al Walsh.  We continue to think of him often and we continue to enjoy a wonderful relationship with his trophy bride Julie, who can ride a tractor with the best of them!
We wanted to mark this date with something special in honor of Al, so we decided to make two cakes--one which was given to Julie, and the other to the staff at the Riverbend Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Natick where Al spent his last days.  Julie spoke so highly of the care and comfort Al received at this home-like facility, so we thought it might be nice to surprise them with  a tasty treat that shared our appreciation for their kindess and support of Al during his illness.  When I delivered the cake, the staff was very touched and appreciative. I spoke with a gentleman by the name of Evan (not sure if he was a Nurse or Aid) but he remembered Al and said that there are still several care givers at the center who would also remember him as Al was such a "nice man".  Another employee said "It's so nice to be remembered for doing something right!" It always feels good to reach out to those who are dedicated to taking care of others....especially since we have a daughter studying to become a nurse!!!

Day 125: Bristol Lodge for July

(Picture of Soup Kitchen)

Taken during another groups bristal Lodge day

Nana and Buppa here. Today was St. Jude's Day to feed the homeless at Bristol Lodge. Boy, do the months go by quickly!! Some people were on vacation and 2 of those we pick up on the way to the church weren't home when we appeared. I had meat loaf myself and told this other girl I would do hers as she didn't get word to me til Sat. So , this A.M. I was literally up to my elbows in 6 pounds of hamburg, eggs , milk, bread crumbs, green pepper and onions--what a mess but, they were all ready for the afternoon trip to the oven. I had a doctor apppointment at 2:00, so left Buppa in charge to put them in the oven. Came home and he had everything all set. He must have thought he was head chef this month having to cook, deliver and then slice the meat at the place. We had enough food and think there must have been about 75 people there to enjoy it. Buppa and I have next month off as we will be on vacation with ALL of our wonderful family at the Cape.

Day 124: "Put Your Clothes To Work"

Patricia here. We read in the local newspaper that the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce is collecting business suits and other professional attire to be given to low-income families preparing for job interviews and unable to purchase a "professional outfit".  The clothing drive is appropriately named "Put Your Clothing To Work" and donations are brought to the Norwood Chamber of Commerce.  Paul and I seem to have a lot of old work-wardrobe items that I was able to sort through and donate.....a couple of nice blazers, a sports jacket, some slacks and especially ties....since we are now at the point of Paul needing only a few instead of forty (yes he actually had 40 ties hanging around!). By the time the "back of the closets" were completely hunted through....I found that we had two shopping bags of contributions, and Paul was able to drop them off near his office.  We hope that these items will inspire confidence, and ultimately bring jobs, to those who wear them next.

Day 123: Cross International Catholic Outreach

About 2 years ago, a priest from Cross International spoke to the congregation at Our Lady of the Mountains parish in North Conway, New Hampshire. We were part of that Congregation and were very impressed with the priest and his homily about the work they do. Instead of having the collection that day at Mass, they gave out fliers with information about their outreach and an envelope in which to send your donation. We did that and have helped out several times since as once you're" on the list" it is hard to get off! Unfortunately, at least once every 6 weeks or so, we receive another request and it seemed it was getting to be too often, so I ignored the last few. Well, about 10 days ago, I received a phone call from their offices telling me all about their problems in Haiti and all the thousands of people still sleeping in tents for over 18 months. I was moved as I have never slept in a tent for pleasure(?) never mind necessity. So, the promised envelope came and I am sending our donation today. Hope it will help in a small way to feed some of these hungry children and adults too.

Day 122: Sherborn Energy Committee

Thanks to the people on the Sherborn Energy Committee, Sherborn has been designated as a "Green Community".  Accordingly, we have been granted over $137,000 from the state to invest in energy saving programs.  One of the qualifications is a declaration we will save over 20% of the energy used in town buildings over the next 3 years.  Since lighting consumes a major percentage of the electicity used in public buildings, it is a primary target to review. The electric utility (NSTAR) has agreements with a select few contractors who survey buildings and come up with energy saving proposals which incorporates the rebates offered by the utility.  However, because there are very few "official" contractors allowed to do the work, there is little comptetion, and it is in their interest to keep their proposals vague and hard to understand.   That's where I come in.  Because I am relatively familiar with the products proposed within the survey, I am able to help navigate through and clarify what is actually being proposed.  I met with a committe member and toured the fire station with him and the Fire Chief.   The work proposed for the fire station would cost around $10,000, and according to the utlitity's designated contractor, it would take about 5 years before breaking even.  However, when recalculated with more realistic and factual information, the payback period is somewhere between 10-15 years.  The Energy Committe's task is to decide the best way to spend the awarded funds on energy saving efforts, and I am glad to be able to give them realistic information so they can make the best decisions for the town.

Day 121: Sunday....An Easy-To-Give Day

Sunday brings the familiar contribution opportunites to the Cutler table......
Paul brought all the empty bottles awaiting desposit re-funds to the Transfer Station to benefit the Lion's Club, and Sophia and I brought food to St. Theresa's Church to benefit the Food Pantry in Framingham.
Sometimes.....giving can be so very easy!!

Day 120: Hampton Beach proceeds to American Cancer Society

Bianca and Olivia here.
We went to Hampton Beach, NH today to spend time with our Long Island cousins Alex and Timmy. They are visiting their Aunt Lisa for the weekend. Lisa, living only ten minutes away from us, invited us along on the trip and we had a nice, long day in the sun. To take a break from the rays, we walked down the strip of shops across from the beach. A music shop was selling old videos (yes, the ones that actually need a VCR to be watched) for a dollar, sending all of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society. The selection was slim, since only videos of live artists' performances were eligible for the fundraiser. I ended up getting a live concert video of Neil Young for dad, since I know he loves his music. The fundraiser seemed pretty popular, since I saw a good chunk of cash in the envelope for the ACS as I was paying! It was a great day on the beach and it was good to find a way to contribute to a worthy and familiar cause in the midst of all our fun.

Day 119: Supporting Claudia in Mexico

It's that time of the month again...to send our support check to CFCA for our sponsored child, Claudia  Here is a recent photo of Claudia that was included  in the letter that we just received from her.  It's wonderful to see that she is growing taller and stronger, and it's also wonderful to read that she is enjoying the typical delights and challenges of an everyday elementary school child. Sophia can't wait to write her first letter in Spanish to her "sponsored-sister"!

Day 118: Dessert for my following at the Council On Aging

Back by popular demand, I was happy to provide Daddy's Cookie's for the Thursday Luncheon for the COA seniors.  Bianca was a sweetheart and delivered the desserts for me while I remain working in,  for lack of not using a more appropriate term,  "Quilt Heaven".
 I later heard from the COA program director that I officially have a following for Daddy's Cookies.....she confirmed that they are called my "Cookie Groupies".  The power of a Daddy's Cookie is starting to scare me almost as much as baking without air conditioning  in 95 degree weather!!!

Day 117: Books for Sherborn Library Book Bin

Tonight we went to a concert on the Sherborn Library Green.
Our neighbor Dick's band, Suburban Child,  was performing and did a wonderful job of entertaining the crowds!  We figured it would make sense to edit our hard back collection yet one more time to offer some reads we are done with to the "Book's for Sale Book Bin" at the Library.  Ron had given me a lot of Marie's old books from the Book Club she once belonged to...and we Cutler's have slowly finished enjoying most of these reads.  I think Marie would appreciate passing them along to others while supporting the library's fundraising efforts.

Day 116: Big Brother Big Sister...yet again

We know the drill and are always happy to help this cause.....leave your bag on the front porch, clearly marked BBBS by 7:00AM. www.bbbsfoundation.org

Day 115: Donation to the Food Pantry

Today, I decided to give a bag of miscellaneous foods to the Food Pantry basket at the rear of St. Jude Church. St. Jude's does not have its own "Food Pantry" but we have some volunteers in the parish who take the donations over to Sacred Heart Parish on Newton St. I have never been there, but was told there is a very long line of people that are "in need" and await their turn to receive some help with their weekly food needs. In this tough economical time, we decided to help out in this way today and be grateful that we have plenty to eat and can afford to share our foods with the less fortunate.

Day 114: Sherborn's local treasure, Farm Pond!

Today was a beautiful day to enjoy our local watering hole, the gorgeous Farm Pond.  Over the years, all three kids have taken swim lessons there, Bianca and Sophia have been on the Snapper's town swim team,  and Bianca has worked at the Pond as both a Life Guard and Swim Instructor.  At Farm Pond this afternoon, the annual Sand Sculpture Contest was going on, and Sophia and her friends entered the competition, designing "The Adventures of Sandman", which in the end, showed Sand Man melting in the summer sun.  Very clever take on a hot day.....so much so that the judges selected the entry as First Prize in the 11-15 age category!  The Sherborn Community does a lot to support Farm Pond, and one of the ways residents give-back is to  help keep the Beach Toy Box full of sand toys. We were happy to add to the toy collection today by donating some shovels, buckets and a ball to the cause. 

Day 113: Happy 60th Birthday to Maggie

Today is the surprise birthday celebration for my good friend Maggie, who I met during my Ritz days and have remained close with ever since.  Her dear husband, Paul, has organized the party, and in lieu of gifts, he has requested that guests consider making a donation to Cozart Eggleston Scholarship Fund that was established in honor of "Cozie", who lived with their family in Charlestown.  Sadly, Cozie was killed in a tragic car accident driving back to Boston after visiting Maggie and Paul at their home in Saratoga.  I remember his death well,  as the loss occured on the heels of Marie's death, and Maggie and I were a source of comfort to each other.

The scholarship in Cozie's name is administered by the Harvard-Kent Leadership and Scholarship Partnership, which is a very successful 501(c)3 that helps make the dream of college a reality for children at Charlestown’s Harvard-Kent Elementary School... a remarkable urban public school where most students live below the poverty level and over half speak a language other than English at home.
To date, the Partnership has awarded thirty-six $1,000 college-incentive scholarships to high achieving 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. The funds are held in escrow and earn income until the child enters college. Recipients and their families join a special Leadership/Scholarship Club that focuses on leadership and educational enrichment through monthly meetings, in-school activities, social gatherings, field trips throughout Massachusetts, and special visits to colleges. Students remain members of the Club until they graduate from high school. 

Since there are precious few better ways to spend money than to educate a child, we are happy to be able to make a donation to the Cozart Eggleston Scholarship Fund.

Day 112: Bras Galore!

Hello! Olivia here.

In the Natick Collection, there is a store called Soma Intimates. They are having a bra donation for the Pine Street Inn, in Boston and the Transition House (a place for women who had to leave home mostly due to domestic issues...) Instead of Dad having the pleasure of dropping off a bag (the DSW one) of used bras in a lingerie store, I decided to spare him the chance of embarrassment make the trip. My friend Rachel was kind enough to give three, and together my family was able to donate about ten! The workers in the store were so grateful that we brought so many. I was also surprised that there were so many bras already in the basket, and was glad to see it. I was really happy to donate these since we didn't use them anymore, and they could be worn by women who don't have money, or access, to owning bras!

Day 111: Council on Aging Garden Party

Bianca here. Today I volunteered at the Council on Aging Luncheon, hosted by a woman in town who generously offered to hold the event at her house this year. She had a beautiful back porch with fresh flowers, which is most likely why the event was appropriately named a "Garden Party." The event started at noon and I arrived a little after 11. I prepared the dessert buffet, slicing chocolate cake and egg custard until the entire table was covered. I also made a tray of drinks and offered the members a cold refreshment as they walked in. Though I was only able to stay until about 12:15, I was still able to help some of the elderly get situated on the back porch and served them their desserts. One of them asked if "I was a daughter," to which I replied that I was just a volunteer. After introducing myself, she asked if I was Italian, because was I aware that "Bianca" means "white" in Italian! It was remarkable to see so many elderly town residents (some in their nineties and still driving!) able take part in nice events like this one.

DAY 110: Clifford the Big Red Dog

Last week when I was at Kohl's, I noticed they had a new "charitable gig." This time, the stuffed animal and books involved are about Clifford, The Big Red Dog. For every Clifford purchased, 100% of the net profits are donated to support kid's health and education initiatives in communities nationwide.I thought it would be great to pick one up for Katherine (Meaghan's little sister). One of the books is about a birthday party and Katherine is about to be 2 in a few days, so that is the one I chose. Had an e-mail from Meaghan and she told us Katherine was watching 101 Dalmatians and loved it! Hope she will get her dogs straight and enjoy Clifford, the Big Red Dog also.
For more information on Kohl's community giving visit www.Kohls.com/Cares

Day 109: Sherborn Energy Committee

Paul here.  It seems like a long time ago, but at one point I thought it would be a great idea to help the town and volunteer to serve on the newly formed Energy Committee.  I figured with my lighting experience, I could contribute to the town's efforts to save energy.  I did not think that one meeting per month would be difficult, but business travel and family commitments made it very challenging.  I had to resign my official status, and told them I would be glad to help them when the focus was primarily lighting.  Well, they took me up on the offer and I have spent several nights during the past few weeks discussing lighting/energy retro-fit projects in all of the town's buildings.  Tonight I reviewed the contractor's proposal, and identified where I felt the information was not accurate, and where they could focus for optimum savings.  The hardest aspect is to determine the actual hours of usage of some of the buildings and rooms.  In my business world, stores are open at least 12 hours per day. 363 days per year.  It's easy to justify investing in even moderate energy saving material, because the payback is often less  than 2 years.  However, many rooms in town hall, and the police/fire stations are not used more than 10-20 hours per week.  Even dramatic energy saving measures can take over 10 years to pay for itself.  Of course, the contractors proposing the work are not quick to point this out.  We are also considering an energy retro-fit for Pine Hill School, which brings up another complete list of challenges.  I'm glad to help, but some of the issues can become complicated and it can take several hours to review and come up with a consensus.  I have great respect and admiration for the permanent members of the committee, who sacrifice their time and effort to help the town reduce our energy demand.

DAY 108: Counting the Money again

Today was my groups' turn to count the money at St.Jude's Church. We seemed to have a lot of problems both with the money and those of us counting. As Dad said to me, it sounds like the first day back to work after a vacation! Two of the group were missing which left 4 of us to complete the job. We have certain papers to fill out and then combine the totals and then add all the monies together and the 2 must agree. We were quite a way off on the one dollar bills and I finally figured out the problem after wasting a half hour on it. Funny thing, even in their older age, some people won't admit a mistake. I was trying to tell them we are all in this together and try to solve the problem together. I felt like I was holding a "counseling" job instead of a "volunteer counting" job!! Finished 1st collection and as luck would have it we had a second collection. Think they all got my message as there wasn't much talk during the 2nd counting. The papers and actual checks and cash did match and off to the bank we went. Hopefully, the bank will find that we are as smart as we think we are when their figures all agree with ours. I'm glad I will have a week off next Monday as we might still be in New Hampshire!!!

Day 107: Donation to the Jimmy Fund

Today while grocery shopping at Roche Brothers, I stopped at the in-store Citizens Bank (open on Sundays even!) to make a deposit. Sitting next to the teller was a collection bin labeled "Race for the Cure," an event happening this September (through the Jimmy Fund) focused on battling ovarian cancer. After my transaction I gave a small donation to the cause. It seemed to be that the teller was taking part in the Race, or was a team member, because she seemed extra thankful for the donation. If I am remembering correctly, this was my first time donating to a cause that focused on ovarian cancer research and support, but of course it feels good to contribute either way.

-Bianca

http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/girlygirl-parts-5k/default.html?track=featured-event

Day 106: Transferring Bottles and Books and Baked Goods

Patricia here.

Today's trip to the Transfer Station (and "yes", I do my fair share of taking the trash to the dump!) was all about contributions:  a box of bottle returns for The Lions Club; summer reads for the Got Books Bin; a bag of clothes for The Community Share clothing bin; and perhaps most importantly, a tray of baked goods for the terrific men who work the transfer station! 

This team of guys (no women yet!)  are always happy  to help a neighbor with unloading trash from cars, getting large items in and out of The Swap Shop (photo on right)  and bringing recyclables to the paper and plastic bins.  They keep the flow of traffic moving, never complain, and they work especially hard in the summer when the heat/humidity makes for a not-so-lovely aroma around the station.

When I knocked on their little office door to give them the cupcakes, you would have thought I offered them a million dollars.  They were shocked and commenting how rare it is for "the help" to receive treats.  Which makes me think..."why don't we show our appreciation more often?"

Day 105: Another day of helping others

A challenge this day was helping a neighborhood elderly person. The task was pruning of shrubs about her yard. Several hours later, shrubs (plus) were pruned. She was very much appreciative, for trying to keep up ones property can really be a challenge when one's strength is fading. As I take a look at the neighborhood, there are many so challenged.
While Philip was busy with his neighbor, I was busy doing the church linens. Seems as my turn comes more often than once a month, but not really. This month , there was a large amount of cloths and come to find out the lady on for last week had forgotten, so we split the bag. They really aren't hard to do, but not too many of the next generation like or want to iron. Brought them back and one of the daily Mass servers was there and was very appreciative that the problem was solved. Dad was rewarded with a glass of red wine with his friend Eduardo----hope God will reward me with good health!!

Day 104: Council on Aging Lunch

Hey, it's Bianca. Today I volunteered at the town's Council on Aging belated Fourth of July luncheon. To prepare for the event, I got there an hour early and help set up decorations and food. As the members of the council came strolling in,

another volunteer and I started chatting with the "aged" until the food (barbeque-themed) was ready. Attached is a picture of me putting chips into a bowl. You can see many members of the council socializing behind me! My duty was to serve drinks, as many of the attendees needed assistance serving or carrying their food. I also cut the cake for dessert (half chocolate and half vanilla, as to please the crowd!) and helped with some clean up duty. It was a beautiful day for the lunch, although it was quite humid and it was difficult to keep the drinks cold. However it was worthwhile to see all of the smiles on the seniors' faces. They were not expecting to have such young and eager volunteers!

Day 103: A Day in Cambridge

Hello, Olivia here.

For Sophia's graduation from 5th grade, we wanted to do something special. Bianca and I decided to take Sophia to Harvard Square. We took her to lunch, and to a store called "Beadworks", where she could pick out beads and make her own jewelry. She had a great time. During lunch, however, this street musician was playing the electric guitar and singing. He was quite talented! It was lovely having background music while we ate outside. I decided to throw him a couple dollars as a donation. He really deserved it--especially since it was so hot outside today and he was standing out in the sun for hours!

Stay cool!

-Olivia

Day 102: Pennies for Peace

Hello, it is Sophia.

Today as we were thinking of service opportunities, we wanted to stay on the same track of simple and quick. I decided to collect the "most worthless coin in America", the penny. An organization that collects pennies that you might of heard about is Pennies for Peace. After counting my own pennies from my savings, I contributed 64 pennies and gathered 386 more from around the house and my family members. I had a total of 450 pennies or $4.50.

            The Pennies for Peace organization is a program of the Central Asia Institute (CAI) founded by Greg Mortenson.   A shout out to Olivia because the way we found out about the CAI and Pennies for Peace was because she made a quilt for Greg Mortenson when he visited her school.   (picture on right   >)
Pennies for Peace began at Westside Elementary school in River Fall,WI in 1994 when their students raised 62,340 pennies to help Greg build his first school in Pakistan. The main mission CAI focuses on  is education, especially for girls. The Pennies for Peace program and the CAI has been establishing schools in the Middle East and offering hope since 1993.

       I think that this was a great volunteer opportunity, something fun and different.

Day 101: Happy Fourth of July!

How timely that the 100th day of our service blog falls on July 4th, such an important day that acknowledges the birth of our country and celebrates the heroes that made this freedom happen.

The Sherborn Fire Dept sponsors our local 4th events and celebrates the holiday with field races, a parade, BBQ and a town wide favorite...kiddie rides on the Fire Engines.  Knowing that many hands make light work, I dropped by the fire station today to see if they could use any volunteers for any of the activities planned.  They were quite enthusiastic and asked me to return to help "prepare the fire engines for the kiddie rides" .  I was delighted to know that I could be of use, but secretly, I was also thrilled to think that I could board the engines and do whatever one does to the hoses and other props to get these gorgeous, intense vehicles ready for kiddie rides!  So I even showed up 15 minutes early just to be sure I wasn't late.  But....I am sorry to report, someone else had already done MY volunteer job!! I asked if there was anything else I could do...ie cleaning or organizing around the fire station.  One fireman said that I "could clean his car", to which I actually said "OK", but then he wouldn't let me do it.  So sadly,  I was told that there was truly nothing awaiting a pair of helping hands.  They were very grateful for my offer and sure wished they could have taken advantage of a volunteer, but there was no specific need at that time.  Oh well...my intentions were good and as my mother would say..."A for Effort".

Day 100: Contributions in Conway, NH

NOTE:  The following was submitted by Nana and Buppa and uploaded by the Cutlers, as N & B are still enjoying time at "Nana's House In The Country".  It's great that we can find "causes off campus"!!!
                   *******************************************************
Today is Sunday, July 3rd, and we are in Conway, NH.  We went to Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains where they had a second collection to support the fuel/heat program for the church.  We were happy to contribute as we have been "unofficial" members of this spiritual community for decades while enjoying many years of family time in Conway.    Later, we learned that there was a book drive at the local supermarket, Hannaford's, where they keep an ongoing book bin where visitors can both drop off their used books and peruse the selection to find "new" reads.  If you chose to take a book from the bin, you are asked to leave a $1.00 donation in the collection bottle, which actually had a good amount of cash in it!.  It's nice that the honor system still works!!  The store gives the proceeds to a different charity each month.  This month, the chosen charity is the D.A.R.E. program, which, as Sophia has recently learned, stands for Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education.  Sophia told us that a police officer from Sherborn comes to the fifth grade at her school each year to teach the children about the importance of not using drugs or alcohol.  She said she really liked the officer and his program.  D.A.R.E. certainly seems a cause to be worthy of searching through our country house to find books, both for adults and children, that we could donate!

Day 99: Goodwill Donation in Florida

Greetings from Florida!

While Mom, Dad, and Sophia are in NH and Olivia is home for the weekend working, I am down in Florida visiting our Nannie. Cousin Sarah came down today as well and she will be staying for the rest of the weekend. Nannie has a huge walk-in closet in her bedroom filled with her trendy clothes. Over the years, all of her (quite fashionable) attire has accumulated to fill up over half the closet. Many of these clothes she does not wear any more, so Sarah and I suggested that we go through her closet and donate what clothing she felt she would never wear again to the Goodwill store down the street. The Goodwill store is pretty much a secondhand shop (there are many around the country as Goodwill is a national organization) where those who are less fortunate (or even those who are looking for a great bargain!) can shop around and buy pre owned clothes, furniture, or household items at fairly inexpensive prices. Having browsed in the store once before, I can definitely say that Nannie' s clothes will certainly add some style! There were so many cute clothes that unfortunately no longer fit Nannie anymore. We ended up filling 2 trash bags with old shirts, pants, purses and shoes. In fact, the night before we sorted through all of her jewelry, so we even threw in a couple bracelets to the growing donation collection. Nannie has always had great taste and owns some of the most interesting and fun attire. She will make some shoppers very happy!

http://www.goodwill.org/

Day 98: Rocky Woods

Hi, Olivia here.

This weekend, Mom, Dad, Sophia, Nana and Buppa are in New Hampshire at Margaret's House for the holiday. They will be hiking Foss Mountain, biking, and doing other outdoor activities that I love participating in. Since I have to be home in Sherborn to work, I cannot join them. However, I decided I would make a donation to a local Trustees of Reservations location in Medfield. This place, named Rocky Woods, is where my cross country races were held my junior year of high school. I still go on hikes there with my friends sometimes, and I've also gone on bike rides with dad in the past at Rocky Woods. The place is so well maintained and it's nice not to have to maneuver around fallen trees and loose rocks while on the trails. I'll miss my family in NH and know that they will have a great time being outside, but I'm glad I could contribute to a place where I have a connection.

For more information about the Trustees of Reservations, visit http://www.thetrustees.org/.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!